One reaction: Blame Italy

Among the reasons Americans disappointed in the Knox trial verdict have given for their reaction, one of the more virulent is a suspicion of not only the Italian justice system — but Italy in general.

“Amanda Knox would have had a better chance if she’d been tried in Iran,” wrote one tweeter.

“Amanda Knox is innocent and is getting screwed over for being an American in Italy,” wrote another from Seattle.

“Italy wanted her to burn, so they burned her,” wrote a third tweeter.

It’s a theme that’s permeated the entire murder trial: Whether they mean to or not, in a case that spans an ocean, some Americans already sympathetic to Knox’s ordeal have taken to vilifying a foreign justice system.

It’s an interesting target partly because Americans so rarely attack our entire justice system when we disagree with a verdict. Some of that happened in the O.J. Simpson trial, but it was fueled largely by a suspicion that American justice served different races unequally.

In this case, national identity is putting a xenophobic twist on support for Amanda Knox. Some are even pledging to act on their distrust.

“I guess it’s time to boycott Italian products and travel to that country,” wrote one Seattle tweeter.

Of course, the feeling is not universal — not even here. “No doubt,” wrote another Seattle-area tweeter, “Amanda Knox was tried as fairly as any foreign national accused of murder would be tried in America.”

Local blog moderator sees closure in verdict

Update 5:28 p.m.

West Seattle resident Peggy Ganong has been following the trial of former neighbor Amanda Knox more closely than most. Since April 2008, she has moderated Perugia Murder File — a popular public comment board started by crime blogger Steve Huff.

“My initial position hasn’t changed, and that’s that I thought there was enough evidence to go to trial,” she said. “I can’t say I’m really that surprised by the verdict.”

Though she expressed relief at some kind of closure, Ganong said she wasn’t celebrating.

“I would’ve been very sad for the Kerchers if I’d had the feeling that the outcome of the trial was totally based on a concerted effort to distort the facts,” she said. “But to say I’m happy — I think in a case like this there really are no winners and it’s a tragedy for everybody.”

On the Perugia Murder File — which is topped by a picture of the victim, Meredith Kercher — people posted comments largely endorsing the verdict.

“We high-fived the ruling then each lit a holiday candle which will burn throughout the season for Meredith Kercher,” wrote one participant.

Ganong, who criticized Seattle media for “doing a disservice” to the public by being too sympathetic to Knox, also panned national coverage she said “bordered on xenophobic” in its judgment of the Italian justice system.

“This was a very, very complex case and they dumbed it down,” she said.

As for the site, it will keep going for the time being, Ganong said, though she hopes things will quiet down as people come to accept the verdict.

“The trial has concluded,” she said. “I’m not saying I’m going to shut the site down and say goodbye to everybody, but at the same time, I hope people calm down and we can all sort of get back to our lives.”

Investigator: ‘You don’t hire a civil lawyer to fight a murder case’

Update, 4:20 p.m.

From Vanessa Ho:

Paul Ciolino, a Chicago-based private investigator and consultant on the case for CBS News and 48 Hours, had this to say:

This is just a horrible, horrible outcome, but a very predictable one It’s a travesty for her, and for her entire family. She never got a fair trial from day one, and she never had an opportunity to defend herself.

The Italian prosecutor leaked false, scandalous information that never happened. She was tried for purported sexual activity that never existed. They brought her in and told her she had AIDS, which is not true. This is the kind of thing she had to fight from day one, and her lawyer had never fought a murder case.

You don’t hire a civil lawyer to fight a murder case, especially the largest murder case in Europe in the last 25 years.

Cantwell: ‘The prosecution did not present enough evidence’

Update, 4 p.m.

Sen. Maria Cantwell has also released a statement in response to the guilty verdict. In it, she says she will convey her concerns about the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, among others. From an email:

WASHINGTON, DC –Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) issued the following statement on Amanda Knox’s guilty verdict decided today by an Italian court in Perugia, Italy. Knox, a 22-year-old Seattle native, was accused of murdering her British school roommate Meredith Kercher in November 2007. Knox stood trial with co-defendant and former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito.

Senator Cantwell’s statement:

“I am saddened by the verdict and I have serious questions about the Italian justice system and whether anti-Americanism tainted this trial. The prosecution did not present enough evidence for an impartial jury to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Ms. Knox was guilty. Italian jurors were not sequestered and were allowed to view highly negative news coverage about Ms. Knox. Other flaws in the Italian justice system on display in this case included the harsh treatment of Ms. Knox following her arrest; negligent handling of evidence by investigators; and pending charges of misconduct against one of the prosecutors stemming from another murder trial.

I am in contact with the U.S. Ambassador to Italy and have been since the time of Ms. Knox’s arrest. I will be conveying my concerns to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. I have also been in touch with the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC.

From Seattle lawyer Anne Bremner, who represents a “Friends of Amanda” group:

I’ve always felt cautiously pessimistic about the verdict in her favor, given that the prosecutor himself is under indictment for abusive office, the jury is not sequestered and the jury did not have to be unanimous to convict. And the negative and false information about her in the media really became an avalanche.

The only good news, if there is good news, is that the prosecutor wanted a life sentence, and the jury gave her 26 years.

Knox family will ‘immediately’ begin process of appealing verdict

Update, 3:55 p.m.

The Knox family has released its statement in response to the guilty verdict:

We are extremely disappointed in the verdict rendered today against our daughter. While we always knew this was a possibility, we find it difficult to accept this verdict when we know that she is innocent, and that the prosecution has failed to explain why there is no evidence of Amanda in the room where Meredith was so horribly and tragically murdered. It appears clear to us that the attacks on Amanda’s character in much of the media and by the prosecution had a significant impact on the judges and jurors and apparently overshadowed the lack of evidence in the prosecution’s case against her.

We want to thank the excellent work by Amanda’s attorneys, Carlo Dalla Vedova, Luciano Ghirga and Maria Del Grosso, who successfully showed there was no credible evidence against Amanda and who fought hard on her behalf.

We also want to thank the many supporters both in Seattle and around the world who have contacted us with their support of Amanda and of us. We ask for their continued support.

We will immediately begin the process of appealing this verdict. Amanda is innocent and we will continue to fight for her freedom.

Tears and support at Mellas family residence

Update, 3:50 p.m.

From reporter Levi Pulkkinen:

Knox’s family and supporters gathered at the Mellas family home near 35th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Ida Street in West Seattle, where reporters had gathered to hear their reaction to the verdict. Though not entirely unexpected, word that Knox was found guilty on all six counts had driven many of those gathered to tears.

The family heard the verdict on CNN while huddled in the living room of the modest one-story house.

“They have no evidence. I don’t know how they found her guilty,” said Liz Huff, Knox’s grandmother. “I’m absolutely proud of Amanda. She’s made the best of it.”

Huff noted that the two years since Knox’s arrest in November of 2007 in the killing of Meredith Kercher has been “financially devastating” to the family, which has made numerous trips to visit her daughter and has spent thousands on legal fees.

Janet Huff, Knox’s aunt, lamented the involvement of Italian prosecutor Giuliano Mignini, calling him a person who is unbending in his desire to convict Knox in the case.

“I’m afraid of him,” she said. “He shouldn’t be in his position.”

Among the friends of Knox present at the home was David Johnsrud, who met Knox while they both lived in University of Washington dorms. Wearing a black T-shirt with the words, “Save Amanda and Raffaele,” he told the crowd he was convinced Knox will come home.

“She’s going to get acquitted,” he told media gathered in the Knox’s living room. “I’m not worried — she’s going to get out — but I’m angry because now we’re going to have to wait two more years.”

Huff implored reporters to continue to cover the case to see that her niece is cleared. Johnsrud said Knox’s supporters outside the family will continue to work for her release.

“We’re going to fight to the end, and we’re going to get her out of there,” he said.

First reaction to verdict: Shock

3:30 p.m.

From Monica Guzman and Vanessa Ho:

Reaction was sparse in the immediate aftermath of Amanda Knox’s guilty verdict. A call to a relative’s house in Seattle elicited this terse response: “The cameras are here. Call back.”

A call to a private investigator hired by CBS to look into the two-year case got this: “I’m about to go live on KIRO.”

A call for a quote from Tim Egan, who wrote about the case in The New York Times.